Benjamin Lucas, national coordinator of Génération.s, former spokesperson for Yannick Jadot during the presidential election, and regional councilor for Hauts-de-France, explains on franceinfo on Friday April 29 that his movement “wants to govern together” with La France insoumise. The formation is the first to have reached an agreement with the party of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, without the number of reserved constituencies being precisely fixed. Generation.s hopes for it “at least 10 to 15”.
franceinfo: Génération.s is the first movement to adopt an agreement with La France Insoumise: why?
Benjamin Lucas: The earliest would be best. We consider that we have little time to lose because every day lost for the unit is a day in which we will not fight together, convince them together and therefore later. If we can display this beautiful gathering as of May 1, which will give hope to the country, it must be done. On April 24, the far right won 42% of the vote, a record. The climate emergency is there, the social emergency is there, Emmanuel Macron’s brutal program is there. I think there is a concern for responsibility today in the left and in ecology. There are people on the left who tell us that the time of divisions must be erased, that we must be in the time of unity gathering to govern the country together, and that it is possible in June next.
Is this finally the final act of the removal of some on the left, like Génération.s, from the Socialist Party? Benoît Hamon’s program in 2017 is not so far from that of Jean-Luc Mélenchon today.
Today there is a need to build a clear alternative that breaks frankly with Macronism and its excesses. And so, it’s normal that this leads a part of social democracy to also clarify its intention. All sincere socialists today have their place in this gathering. François Hollande, by the Labor law and the forfeiture of nationality, had broken with the left. He was unable to make a synthesis between the radical left and the government left. He chose to pursue a liberal policy, very little social, and even with the forfeiture of nationality, bring his vocabulary back to the far right. He hurt the left and we are rebuilding something that gives hope to the country.
Do you want to put a right-left debate back at the heart of the legislative campaign through this union?
The union will allow clarity. It will make it possible to confront the projects and even, beyond that, the visions of society: the brutal and unjust vision of Emmanuel Macron is a vision that we jointly defend among the left and the ecologists, which is that of sharing, of social justice, dignity and commitment to the climate. It’s not just the electoral bill, it’s the ability to jointly present a path, a vision for the country, a political project that responds both to the day-to-day emergencies of our fellow citizens, but also capable of meeting the great challenges of the future and in particular the climate challenge. Climatic disorders like social disorders come from a neoliberalist vision of the world, which puts individuals in competition, governed by the race for profit, the morbid accumulation of goods rather than sharing.
Is the idea to make a common banner in the campaign but to keep separate groups afterwards in the National Assembly?
We want to govern together, so we want a majority and a government that reflects this gathering. Obviously, we must respect the plurality of each and everyone. We will then see how the groups are organized. What is certain is that we have also made a commitment to a common group. Beyond the politico-administrative constructions within the National Assembly, tomorrow, we will have to perpetuate this way of working together. The unity we want to achieve is not a one-night stand, it’s a lasting relationship. It’s the idea that we’re going to build the long-term capacity of the left and environmentalists to talk to each other and transform the country.
What is the role of ecologists in your opinion?
Yannick Jadot has his place. I was his spokesperson. The values that we carried in this campaign, the ambition of an ecological transformation, it can find a concrete outlet if we win the legislative elections and that we govern with those to whom we are closest, with our natural allies. Of course there are disagreements, but this is the case even in our parties. Look at the Socialist Party, look at Europe Écologie-Les Verts, we have a lot of disagreements and nuances. Do we consider that what brings us together is stronger than that, or do we ultimately have to find excuses not to come together? I believe that if there is the will, there will be the way.